Heather Exner-Pirot & Joël Plouffe are the Managing Editors of the Arctic Yearbook.
343
Commentary
A Proliferation of Forums:
A Second Wave of Organizational Development in the
Arctic
Heather Exner-Pirot & Joël Plouffe
Circumpolar relations have been nothing if not trendy in recent years. First came the domino
sequence of Arctic strategies from each of the Arctic states between 2008-2011. This was succeeded
by a rash of Arctic Ambassadorial appointments, with Japan‘s appointment of Masuo Nishibayashi
in March, 2013, making eleven (click
for Arctic Yearbook 2012‘s list of Arctic/Non-Arctic
ambassadors). But the most recent inclination has been to establish pan-Arctic forums, focusing on
the ‗future of the Arctic‘, and open to a global audience of self-appointed Arctic stakeholders.
The most high profile launch of this new breed of circumpolar organization is the
Arctic Circle
,
Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson‘s vision of an open, global platform by which to
address the region‘s most pressing issues. Uniting a motley crew of oil and shipping executives,
climate advocates, Asian scientists and a European monarch – Prince Albert II of Monaco – the
Arctic Circle
is a response to the perceived parochialism of the Arctic Council and an attempt to
create a space for a diverse range of interested voices (see Klaus Dodds‘ commentary in this
volume).
Then there are the burgeoning Arctic economic conferences, including the
World Arctic Forum
(Canada); the
Arctic Energy Summit
(Iceland); the
Arctic Imperative
(United States); the
Arctic Summit
(Norway)
;
the
Arctic Exchange
(Sweden); the
Arctic Business Forum
(Finland); the
Arctic Policy and
Economic Forum
(Denmark); the
Arctic – Territory of Dialogue
(Russian Federation), and last but not
least, the Arctic Council‘s own, as yet unlaunched,
Circumpolar Business Forum,
under the auspices of